


Normal Kids (Almost)

by TugboatExpress



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 08:40:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20423099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TugboatExpress/pseuds/TugboatExpress
Summary: Lena's summoned back to the mortal world from the Shadow Realm, and the kids think, hey, what if we just tried to be normal for once?That goes about as well as one would expect. Duckburg residents are far from normal.





	Normal Kids (Almost)

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this immediately after Friendship Hates Magic and I'm only just getting around to posting it, yikes! So it's set immediately after the events of that episode :)

When Huey, Dewey, and Louie get back from the Bin, Webby is waiting for them in the foyer, looking about ten times more excited than usual. And Webby is always excited. Which means that right now, her eyes are huge, her grin even bigger, and she’s practically buzzing with energy. 

The boys have barely set foot inside the mansion when Webby shrieks, runs over, and grabs Huey by the arm, half dragging him up the stairs. Dewey and Louie instinctively follow, and within seconds the four of them are rushing down the hall, practically tripping over each other because of how fast Webby is herding them towards her room. 

“Webby! Slow down,” says Huey, always reasonable, but Webby either doesn’t hear or doesn’t care. “Are you ok? Are you hurt? Are you upset?”

“Nope!” Webby shouts, still hustling the boys down the hall, “This is the best day of my life!”

“You said that two days ago when we got free stickers at Funso’s,” Louie points out.

“But this is really really really really really really really REALLY really really the best day of my life!” Webby says, and then stops so abruptly in front of her door that the boys stumble into each other.

She takes a deep breath, looks at them seriously, says, “Don’t freak out,” and then kicks her door open.

“Ta-da!”

There’s three long seconds of silence before, all at once, the boys say, “LENA?”

“’Sup,” says Lena casually (but secretly she’s fighting back a grin).

“…and some other girl!” Dewey says, trying to be polite but failing spectacularly.

“Violet Sabrewing,” the mystery girl says, with a professional nod of the head. 

Then the boys all start talking at once.

“Are you ok? How are you back? Have you talked to Uncle Scrooge?” says Huey.

“Did you fight shadow monsters? Did you look into the face of Death Itself and kick their ass?” says Dewey.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were a shadow? Was there any treasure in the shadow realm? Did you bring any back?” says Louie.

Lena blinks. “What?”

“Guys, guys,” Webby intervenes, “Take it easy! She’s a delicate angel who’s been through a lot!”

Huey raises his hands in defeat, Dewey nods, and Louie shrugs, and then they walk in and settle down on the floor with the girls. Webby - always great at sleepovers - has pulled out a bunch of blankets and snacks and priceless dangerous ancient artefacts. 

“K,” Lena says, “So I’m sure you have, like, a million questions or whatever, so I’ll just sum it up now. I was Webby’s shadow for months, but the power of, like, friendship brought me back -“

“And now we’re all BFFs forever!” Webby interjects, throwing her arms around Lena.

“Yeah. So, like, we talked to Scrooge or whatever -“

“UNCLE Scrooge,” says Webby, still clutching her.

“Right. Uh, anyway, we talked to him and I have a room here I guess, which is really cool and stuff. So, uh, yeah. I’m back I guess,” she finishes, looking and sounding uncharacteristically heartfelt, if not just a little awkward.

Violet speaks up. “My story is that I met Webby at the library.”

Everyone laughs at the mundanity. In the 0.0001 second of silence that follows, Webby jumps right back into action.

“So what do you guys wanna do? We could play Scroogeopoly, or play Dare or Super-Dare, or go down to the pier and try to bait the Loch Ness Monster into revealing itself!”

Huey cuts in immediately: “Louie cheats at Scroogeopoly, Dewey isn’t allowed to play Dare after the broken arm incident, and we shouldn’t go out so late!”

“You’re no fun,” Dewey pouts.

“Ok,” says Webby, undeterred, “the how about we sneak into the Other Bin and look if Uncle Scrooge has ever found evidence of real, actual werewolves!?”

“That doesn’t sound very safe either,” Huey points out.

“And it’s not even a full moon tonight,” says Violet rationally.

“Exactly!” says Huey, and they high-five.

“Why don’t we just, like, do normal kid stuff?” Lena asks.

They fall into silence and look around at each other. 

“What do normal kids even do?” Webby mumbles.

Silence again, and then Louie says, “as if anyone here would know,” and everyone busts out laughing again.

“Okay, okay,” Webby reasons, “How ‘bout we just paint our nails and watch movies? Is that normal? Would normal kids do that?”

There’s shrugs and hopeful mumbles and nods of agreement, and so they happily do just that. 

***They wake up early the next morning, all sprawled out across the living room. The tv is still on, there’s cheesy puff dust all over the kids and every reachable surface, and somebody (Dewey) spilled purple nail polish all over the couch. 

When Beakley comes in to check on them, she doesn’t even comment on the mess, to the great surprise of the kids. Instead, she offers pancakes, which is met with cheers and a subsequent race to the kitchen. 

“Running. Gross,” says Lena, watching the other five race ahead. 

Beakley laughs and pats Lena’s head in a matronly way. 

“It’s wonderful to have you back, dear. It’s nice to have someone around who isn’t so…chaotic.”

Lena laughs, a real one, but shrugs Beakley off. She has a reputation, after all. 

In the time it’s taken them to stroll to the kitchen, breakfast has gotten well underway.

Huey stands on a chair by the grill, consulting a recipe in the JWG and swatting Dewey’s hands away when he tires to flip a pancake too early. Violet neatly measures ingredients and hands them up to Huey with deadly precision. Dewey is being a nuisance - whether intentionally or not is impossible to say - and Webby requests pancakes to be made into cute shapes, throwing handfuls of chocolate chips into the batter when she thinks Huey and Violet aren’t looking.

Louie’s sitting at the table on his phone, and Lena thinks that’s where she’d rather be. 

“You’ve got the right idea, Green,” she says, pulling up a chair.

Louie scoffs. “You DO know my name, right?”

“Sure thing, Hoodie,”

Louie laughs and looks up from his phone, just as Huey shouts, “First batch done! Order up!”

“Cool,” says Louie, “I’ll take three,”

Huey puts his hands on his hips, and, for a twelve year old, looks and sounds a lot like a grandmother: “You can come and get them yourself!”

Louie heaves a dramatic sigh, but Huey pays him no mind - just goes back to making the next batch. 

“Watch this,” Louie whispers to Lena. Then, at full volume, he says, “Webby, can you bring me a stack? I’d ask Dewey but you’re faster,”

“YES!” Webby shouts, “told you I’m faster!” Then she sticks her tongue out at Dewey and scrambles to grab a plate. 

“Nuh-uh!” Dewey protests, and runs to grab another.

The two race the short distance to the table, tripping each other and dropping a few pancakes on the way (which Huey ‘tsk’s at). 

“Who won?” Dewey demands, panting. 

“Hmmm… hard to say,” Louie says passively, already digging into his star-shaped pancakes.

“Lena?” Dewey asks, and Webby makes puppy eyes at her in a silent plea to be declared the winner.

“Meh. Hard to say. You’ll to have a rematch when we need more,”

And with that, Webby and Dewey race back to the kitchen demanding that Violet and Huey cook faster. Louie high fives Lena under the table. 

A few batches later, Huey finally relents and lets Webby make her own, which results in the grill getting covered in rapidly-melting chocolate chips, and so their pancake-making comes to an end. 

They sit piled around the table, shovelling breakfast into their mouths as if they hadn’t been snacking all night. 

“So new girl -“ Dewey starts.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full! And don’t call someone that, it’s rude,” Huey scolds. 

“Fine,” Dewey grumbles. “So Violet! What d’you wanna do today? We could solve a mystery, or rewrite h-“

“OOH!” Webby interrupts with a shriek, “Yeah! Your first McDuck adventure! We could introduce you to Selene, or have a magical round of golf, or go to South America -“  
“Yeah!” Dewey interrupts her interruption, “Uncle Donald’s boyfriends are down there, and -““Your Uncle Donald has boyfriends?” Lena demands, eyebrows high, smile wide.

“Yeah, they were in a band! Uncle Gladstone says they -“

“Oh! Let’s go see Uncle Gladstone! He gives me like 20 bucks every time we see him!”

They dissolve into loud chatter, shouting ideas of what to do today over each other. Finally Violet clears her throat, and everyone settles down. 

“As much as I’m looking forward to a McDuck adventure -“

“McDuck adventure!” Dewey and Webby singsong, harmonizing. Louie rolls his eyes.

“Right,” Violet continues, barely acknowledging the interruption, “as much as I’m looking forward to an adventure, I have to return my library books today.”

Silence.

Dewey blinks at her. “You’re joking, right?”

“No,” says Violet simply.

“Late fees are no laughing matter, Dewford.” says Huey, then, “Hey, do you know if they’ve gotten a new shipment in? I asked Ms. Quackfaster to order this book about gravity but I don’t know if it’s in yet.”

Violet nods. “Uh-huh, truck just came on Tuesday. They just got this great book about multiverse theory, it was quite informative, actually, and -“

“La-la-la-la-la!” Dewey shouts, covering his ears. “Just get to the library and get this nerd crap out of here!”

“Ok,” Huey says then, “we’re going to the library. Louie, don’t sit around and do nothing all day. Dewey, don’t do anything stupid.”

Dewey scoffs. “Do I look like I’d do anything stupid?” He asks in mock-offence. 

“Yes.” says Violet, and all the kids laugh (including Dewey - who doesn’t love a good self-deprecating joke?).

***

Fifteen minutes later, Huey and Violet are at the library, Louie and Lena are sitting around doing nothing (watching Ottoman Empire), and Dewey and Webby are doing something stupid (involving high-risk stunts and superheroes).

Among the crowded shelves, they sit at a little table; Violet absorbed in a book about necromancy in Arthurian literature, Huey with his beak buried in a thick volume about the history of deep sea exploration. It’s silent, and they’re both completely absorbed in their own books. It’s really seeming like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

And then Gizmoduck smashes through the brick wall, causing dust, bricks, books and screams to fly all over the library. 

Huey sighs and closes his book, unhurried and unworried. 

“Huey!” Fenton shouts, wiping dust off the suit’s mask, “I need your help!”

“SHHH!” they hear Quackfaster hiss, seemingly caring more about their loud voices than the giant hole smashed through the side of the building.

“You know Gizmoduck?” Violet whisper-shouts, stepping over a loose brick.

“Yes! Isn’t that cool? One time, we -“

“How do you know Gizmoduck? ….is he one of Scrooge’s scientists?”

“No!” Huey and Fenton both shout, too loud.

“It’s not important! Look, Fen- uh, Gizmoduck, why do you need my help? Why didn’t you call the police?”

Fenton sighs. “M’ma’s busy enough these days, she -“

“Your mother is a police officer?” Violet says. Huey and Fenton look at each other. “Hm. Doesn’t Dr. Crackshell-Cabrera from the Bin have a mom who’s a cop?”

They stare at Violet for a second, and then Fenton laughs and takes off his helmet.

“I knew it!” Violet says, and high-fives Huey.

“You’re a quick one! I’m Fenton.”

“Violet Sabrewing. Why do you need our help?”

“OH! Yeah! ’Cause that dumbass Mark Beaks - uhhh…. I mean, er, that, uh, meanie-head, Mark Beaks -“

“Please,” Huey says, holding up a hand, “we’re twelve, we’re not little kids. We know swear words.”

“Yes,” Violet agrees. “So what’d that dumb bitch Mark Beaks do?”

***

Meanwhile, Dewey, Webby, and Launchpad are in the process of making an incredibly stupid decision. 

“You sure this is a good idea?” Webby calls.

“Absolutely!” Yells Launchpad, who’s standing on the roof of the bank. 

Dewey, who’s recording this all on his phone, gives a thumbs-up. “We saw it on an old episode of Darkwing Duck,” he explains to Webby. “If you just, like, act vaguely distressed around some important building, then Darkwing Duck pretty much HAS to come save you.”

“Oh noooooooo,” yells Launchpad from the roof, “if only SOOOOOOMEONE would SAVE me!”

“Can’t you just call him?” Webby reasons. “I thought he gave you his phone number after the movie the other night,”

“Yeah but I don’t wanna seem desperate,” Launchpad explains.

“Right,” Webby deadpans.

***

Lena and Louie are sprawled on the couch and thick-carpeted living room rug respectively, mindlessly watching Ottoman Empire. No adventure to be found. They’re really enjoying themselves. 

And then, like clockwork, the door flies off its hinges with a bang. “HA! Take tha’ Scroogie! A’ve infiltrated yer own home, and now I’m gonnae kidnap yer nephew an’ - your…housekeeper’s…granddaughter’s…best friend? HA! HAHA!”

“H’oh boy,” says Louie.

***

The afternoon, for all six kids, flies by in a blur of robotic whirring, weird metaphors for dramatic entrances, and old Scottish men bickering, respectively.

The point is, several hours after they’d all left the breakfast table, they find themselves all together again, sprawled exhausted across Webby’s bed. They’re a bit battered and bruised, but they rest easy knowing there will be no more villainous dumbassery, lovesick ploys, or desperate schemes tonight. 

Well, there PROBABLY won’t be. You know what they say about life here in Duckburg.

“So anyway,” says Dewey, finishing an incredibly dramatic and long-winded account of his and Webby’s adventure, “it actually ended up working for Launchpad, ‘cause they’re going out for dinner on Thursday!”

“Gay rights,” Louie says, voice muffled because he’s face-down on the blankets.

Violet pipes up, saying, “That’s sweet, but really, are ANY of our city’s superheroes actually, you know, competent at crime-fighting?”

Lena snorts.

“Hey!” Huey protests, “We just saw Gizmoduck totally destroy Mark Beaks’ stupid plan! He’s a great superhero!”

Violet raises an eyebrow. “A four year-old child could stop Mark Beaks.”

“That’s -! …okay, that’s fair,”

“The only competent person in this town is Beakly,” says Louie reasonably. “She literally just…picked Glomgold up, took him outside, and closed the gate in his face,”“I love when the working class rises up against its wealthy oppressors,” Lena says lazily.

Webby, who’s been tuning most of this entire conversation out in favour staring at Lena like she hung the stars, laughs like it’s the funniest thing she’s ever heard. 

Is there anything better, she thinks, than laughing easily with your best friends after a crazy day?

No, there isn’t.

And there’s nothing more exhausting than a hectic day of unforeseen chaotic happenings, and nothing more comforting than the warmth and security of good company. Which is why, not 40 minutes later, all the kids are out cold, sleeping off the day’s antics without a care in their heads.

***

Scrooge notices that the house has become suspiciously quiet, and comes to investigate. When he sees them he’s pleasantly surprised, and he thinks, they’re just like normal kids. 

Almost.

**Author's Note:**

> hey so uh if you ship HDL with anybody on Team Magic then maybe don't read this or interact thanks!
> 
> if you love Weblena you can stay tho because theyre in love :)
> 
> Super-dialogue heavy, I know, but it's just so fun writing for these characters!!!! Wanted to put something happy and lighthearted out there before the season 2 finale inevitably leaves us all dead in a ditch!!! I love these dumbass kids and cant wait to see them all interact more!!!!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and as usual feedback is greatly appreciated :))
> 
> (PS - I have a duck tumblr but I'm not telling yall my url.............yet)


End file.
